[70] Cf. this statement with the royal decree of May 26, 1609, which is presented in this volume, p. 79, ante.

[71] Valerio de Ledesma was born at Alaejos.  March 23, 1556, and became a novitiate in the Jesuit order in 1571-1572.  He was sent to the Philippines, where he served as rector of Cebu, associate of the provincial, rector of Manila, provincial, rector and master of novitiates at San Pedro Macati, and again rector at Manila, where he died, May 15, 1639.  See Sommervogel, Barrantes (Guerros piraticas), and Pardo de Tavera (Biblioteca Filipina, Washington, 1903) as to his authorship.  See also Murillo Velarde’s Historia (Manila, 1749), book ii, ch. vii, pp. 260-266, for a notice regarding him.  In the Ventura del Arco MSS., at the end of this summary of Ledesma’s letter appears a tracing of his autograph signature.

[72] According to Sommervogel, Juan de Ribera was born at Puebla de los Angeles in 1565, and entered upon his novitiate at Rome in 1582.  He was sent to the Philippines in 1595, and taught theology and was rector at Manila, where he died June 5, 1622.  Besides the present letter, Father Ribera was the author of the Lettera annua from the Philippines for 1602-1603, which was printed at Venice and Paris, in Italian and French respectively, in 1605.

[73] In regard to the correction of Manila time, see Vol.  I, p. 22, note 2.

[74] That is, “the Great Mogul,” meaning “the ruler of Mogor,” a name applied to Hindostan.  The monarch here referred to is Jahangir (or Jehanghir), the tenth of the Mogul emperors, who in 1605 succeeded to the throne by the death of his father, Akbar the Great.  See account of his power and wealth, by Pyrard de Laval (publications of Hakluyt Society, London, 1888-90) ii, pp. 250-253; also The Hawkins’ Voyages and Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe (published by the same society in 1878 and 1899, respectively).  Roe and William Hawkins successively resided at Jahangir’s court between 1610 and 1620.  An interesting sketch of Jahangir’s life is given by Valentyn in his Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indien (Dordrecht and Amsterdam, MDCCXXIV), part iv, sec. ii, pp. 218-230; it is part of a series of the sketches, “Lives of the Great Moguls.”

[75] According to Montero y Vidal (Hist.  Filipinas, i, p. 161) this expedition was under the orders of Alonso Vaez Coutino.

[76] A small piece of ordnance; or, a long musket or matchlock.

[77] The plan of Malaca in Bellin’s Atlas maritime (Paris, 1764), iii, 46, indicates this church, stating that it was then a magazine within the fort.  Other public buildings are located—­the Chinese pagoda and bazar, the Mahometan mosque, etc.  See Valentyn’s account, descriptive and historical, of “Malakka,” in his Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indien, part v, book vi, pp. 308-360; it contains a large engraving, a view of the city of Malaca.